9 My Family Activities for Preschoolers That’ll Actually Keep Them Busy (And You Sane!)
Let’s talk about family activities with our little ones! We know how important it is to have writing activities that help kindergarten and preschoolers understand and connect with their family members in fun, engaging ways.
These family-themed activities help our kiddos express their emotions, build stronger bonds, and develop a deeper sense of belonging in their family unit.
We’ve gathered some of our favorite preschool activities that celebrate literacy skills, family connections and create precious memories together. These hands-on learning experiences are perfect for those crazy-busy days when we need simple yet meaningful ways to engage with our little ones while teaching them about the special people in their lives.
1) Family Hand Print Art
Let’s create some seriously fun family art that’ll make your heart melt! We love this activity because it captures a sweet moment in time with your little ones.
Grab some non-toxic paint (washable is your BFF here!) and a large piece of paper.
We recommend setting up a messy art station – maybe outside or on a table covered with newspaper.
Have each family member dip their hands in their favorite paint colors. Then, create a collaborative piece of art by pressing handprints onto the paper. Mix up the colors and arrangements to make it uniquely yours!
Don’t forget to write everyone’s names and the date under their prints. Trust us, you’ll love looking back at those tiny handprints years from now! Some families even make these into family sort of yearly traditions to track how much their kiddos grow.
Pro tip: Keep some wet wipes nearby – paint-covered preschoolers can get pretty creative with where those colorful hands end up! And yes, we’re speaking from hilarious personal experience. 😄
2) Play Dough Family Figures
Making family figures with play dough is such a fun way for little ones to learn about family members! We love watching their creativity shine as they squish and shape the dough into mini versions of mom, dad, siblings, and even pets.
Homemade play dough can be a great budget-friendly option. We can make different colors to match everyone’s skin tones and hair colors, making the activity more personal and meaningful.
This activity helps kids learn about their family structures and roles while having a blast with sensory play. We encourage our little ones to tell stories about their play dough family members – it’s amazing to hear what adventures they come up with!
Don’t worry if the figures don’t look perfect – that’s part of the fun! Add simple details like googly eyes, yarn for hair, or small buttons for clothes. Just make sure all items are age-appropriate and supervised.
We love asking questions like “Who’s the tallest in our first family picture?” or “What color is mommy’s hair?” while they create. It’s a sneaky way to reinforce family concepts and spark conversations about loved ones.
3) Family Home Booklet
Let’s get crafty with this super fun and meaningful activity! A family home booklet is a sweet way for your little one to practice their fine motor activities and skills while creating something special about their family theme and loved ones.
We love this activity because it’s so simple to set up. Just grab 3-5 sheets of white paper, fold them in half, and staple along the fold to make a mini book. You can even create a cute title page with “My Family” for your kiddo to glue on themselves.
Your preschooler can fill the pages with drawings of family members, photos, or even little stories they tell you about their favorite family memories.
We find it’s a great way to help them remember who’s who in their family tree while practicing those important cutting and gluing math skills.
This activity is perfect for rainy days or quiet time. Plus, it makes an adorable keepsake that we guarantee will bring smiles years down the road. Don’t forget to date it – trust us, you’ll want to remember when they made this precious little book!
4) Create a Family Tree
Let’s get crafty with our kiddos and make an awesome family tree! This fun family activity teaches children about their heritage and personal history while letting them express their creativity.
Grab some green and brown construction paper, scissors, glue, and photos of your family members. We love using simple supplies for this project – nothing fancy needed!
First, help your little one cut out a brown trunk and branches. Then cut some green leaves where you’ll add the family photos. If you don’t have photos handy, your kiddo can draw cute pictures of everyone instead.
Want to make it extra special? Let your preschooler decorate the tree with stickers or markers. They can add flowers, birds, or whatever makes them smile!
This activity is perfect for any time of the school year, and it’s a great way to talk about family relationships. Plus, your little one will be so proud to display their masterpiece on the fridge or in their room!
5) Family Memory Matching Game
Let’s get ready for some serious family bonding fun! This super simple game is perfect for helping our little ones develop their memory skills while spending quality time together.
All you need are some family photos placed on index cards to create your own personalized matching game. We love using family recipe with doubles of grandparents, siblings, and even the family pet!
The rules are easy peasy – just flip over two cards at a time to find matching pairs. When your kiddo finds a match, encourage them to name the family member and maybe share a fun story about that person.
We’ve found this game works amazingly well during quiet time or when we need an indoor activity on rainy days. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to help our littles remember extended family members they might not see every day.
Want to make it extra special? Create different sets with holiday photos, vacation memories, or silly face pictures. Our preschoolers absolutely crack up when they match mommy’s goofy expressions!
Pro tip: Laminate those cards if you can – trust us, tiny hands can be rough on paper pictures!
6) DIY Family Portraits
Let’s get creative with some fun family portraits! This super sweet activity helps our little ones feel connected to their family while letting their artistic side shine through.
Family portraits help kids establish their identity and see themselves as part of something bigger. We love watching their faces light up as they draw each family member’s special features.
Grab some paper, crayons, markers, or even paint – whatever art supplies make your kiddos happy! For an extra special touch, let them decorate a picture frame to display their masterpiece.
Creating family portraits can be sensitive if there have been recent changes at home. We recommend checking in with your little one and letting them include whoever they consider family – pets included!
Want to mix it up? Try making family story stones by painting family members on smooth rocks. Our preschoolers go crazy for these and love using them to tell stories about their most favorite things and people.
Don’t stress about perfect artwork – messy portraits are the best kind! The giggles and pride on their faces when showing off their own family of masterpieces make this activity totally worth it.
7) Family Puppets Show
Let’s get creative and put on an amazing puppet show with our little ones! Making puppets of family members is a super fun way to help kids learn about family relationships while getting their creative juices flowing.
Start by grabbing some colorful socks for puppet bodies.
We love using buttons for eyes, yarn for hair, and felt pieces for clothes. Let your kiddos go wild decorating their sock puppet family members!
Set up a simple puppet theater using a cardboard box or hang a blanket between two chairs.
We promise it doesn’t need to be fancy – kids will love it no matter what!
Help your little ones come up with fun preschool family activities and scenarios to encourage children to act out.
Maybe puppet mom is cooking dinner for preschool family while puppet baby takes a nap? Or puppet grandma is telling stories to puppet kids? The possibilities are endless!
Don’t forget to document these precious moments with photos or videos.
These memories are pure gold, and we bet the grandparents would love go back to school to see their puppet versions in action!
8) Family Story Time Circle
Story time gets even better when we make it a fun family activity! We love gathering everyone in a cozy circle on the floor with plenty of soft pillows and blankets.
Family story time each week gives our little ones a chance to learn about different types of families while building important social skills. Plus, it’s super sweet watching them snuggle up close to listen!
We like to make it extra special by using puppets and felt boards to bring the stories to life.
Our preschoolers go crazy for funny character voices and interactive elements that let them join in the storytelling fun.
Here’s our favorite twist – at circle time we use family photos as story prompts!
Looking at pictures of real family moments helps our kiddos create their own amazing stories. They love sharing tales about that time we went to the beach or celebrated a birthday.
Don’t forget to let the kids pick out books sometimes at school too!
When children bring they get to choose the story, they’re usually way more excited to participate. We’re all about making reading time a highlight of everyone’s day.
9) Weeknight Family Dance Party
Let’s get our groove on with a super fun family dance party! Dancing together at home is an awesome way to get moving and giggling with our little ones.
We love throwing these impromptu dance parties right in our living room.
Just push the furniture aside, crank up some tunes, and let loose! Our preschoolers absolutely love when we add silly props like party hats or fun glasses to make it extra special.
Take turns being the DJ – our kiddos feel so proud when they get to pick the songs!
We’ve found that mixing up familiar nursery rhymes with current pop hits keeps everyone engaged and moving.
Don’t worry about looking silly – that’s half the fun!
We can twirl, jump, wiggle, and shake the house, without any fancy moves or routines. Sometimes we even use leftover party decorations to make the space feel more festive.
The best part? This activity burns energy before bedtime and creates the sweetest family memories. Our little ones always beg for “just one more song!”
Benefits Of Family Activities
Family activities create amazing opportunities for growth, learning and pure enjoyment with our little ones! Let’s explore why dedicating time to family fun and engaging activities matters so much.
Building Stronger Bonds
We’ve seen firsthand how family activities help children feel more connected to their community. When we spend quality time together, those precious moments create lasting memories that strengthen our relationships.
Playing together helps our kiddos develop trust and security. They learn they can count on us, which builds their confidence in exploring the world around them.
Those silly moments of laughter and shared experiences? They’re actually helping me unit other parents and our children develop better social and emotional skills. Plus, they’re learning how to communicate and express themselves in a safe, loving environment.
Fostering Creativity
Get ready for some magical moments when we let our creative juices flow! Family activities spark imagination and help our little ones think outside the box.
Creative family activities can include:
Making art projects together
Acting out stories with puppets
Playing pretend games
Dancing to favorite songs
Building with blocks or recyclables
When we engage in creative play with our children, we’re showing them it’s okay to experiment and try new things. They learn there’s no “wrong way” to be creative – and honestly, some of our best memories come from those perfectly imperfect moments!
Choosing The Right Activity
Picking fun family activities for preschoolers doesn’t have to be complicated! We’ve learned that the best preschool activities blend what your little one loves with opportunities to learn and grow.
Understanding Your Preschooler’s Interests
Let’s be real – trying to get a preschooler to do something they’re not into is like trying to herd cats! That’s why we always start by watching what makes their eyes light up.
Does your tiny human love making handprint art? Are they obsessed with building things?
Pay attention to their play patterns – it’s like they’re giving us a roadmap!
If students, they spend hours with their stuffed animals, dramatic play activities might be perfect. If they’re always moving, active learning games could be the way to go.
Keep it fresh by rotating activities based on their theme and current interests. What worked last month might not click today, the first week, and that’s totally okay!
Balancing Fun And Learning
Here’s our secret sauce – sneak the learning into the fun! Family-themed math activities can teach counting while playing with family photos or sorting laundry together.
Look for activities that hit multiple skills:
Physical development (drawing, cutting, dancing)
Social skills (taking turns, sharing)
Basic concepts (colors, shapes, numbers)
Language development (storytelling, singing)
Don’t stress if an activity flops. Sometimes we learn best when we’re just going with the flow and being silly together! The key is keeping things light and pressure-free.
